(The
following article is from
the February 16-29,
2008
issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles
can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in
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By Stephen Von Sychowski

As the class struggle begins to sharpen internationally under the
pressure of imperialist war and globalization, so too must the culture
struggle, one of its key component parts. In the culture struggle we
find many forms of expression, ranging from poetry and literature to
film to music, including folk, hip hop and, of course, punk.

And, despite the potential groans of a few of
our beloved elder comrades, punk continues to be one of the primary
artistic outlets for revolutionary youth. Yes, punk rock, a genre that
continues to grow and diversify in form, also has within it a strong
progressive and revolutionary trend growing and diversifying in its own
right. This trend is struggling for its part in the contradictions
within the punk scene, between its ideological camps and the class
interests they objectively serve.

There's an old saying that class consciousness
is knowing what side of the fence you're on while class analysis is
knowing who is there with you. That's why while other people are no
doubt reading in the bourgeois press today about Britney Spears and
other "artists" with empty brains and empty underpants drawers, you are
reading in People's Voice about Insurgence Records.

Insurgence Records is a punk rock record label
based out of Toronto, with numerous bands from around North America and
Europe, including Canadian bands Union Made, Fate 2 Hate, The Fallout,
Final Four and The Prowlers.

The interesting thing about Insurgence
Records, however, is that they are a specifically anti-racist,
anti-fascist and class conscious label composed of groups that Randy
Smith of their promotions department describes as "politically and
socially conscious bands ...good music and good lyrics that follow in
the tradition of protest music going all the way back to Woody Guthrie
and The Almanac Singers, etc."

It doesn't take long to figure this out after
one look at their website. Insurgence's logo is taken from a Spanish
Civil War poster which shows a Republican soldier smashing a fascist.
The explanation of their logo includes a link the website of the
Abraham-Lincoln Brigades. Some of the bands are connected to R.A.S.H.
(Red and Anarchist Skin Heads).

Insurgence has also released a series of
albums titled "Class Pride Worldwide" which feature anti-racist,
anti-fascist groups from around the world. The third instalment of this
series was recently released under the slogan "15 Countries. 22 Bands.
1 Voice". It includes tracks from Montreal's Union Made as well as two
other Canadian bands, Esclaves Salaries and Borderguards.

Insurgence is strongly recommended for
anyone interested in left-wing political rock, punk, hardcore or
Skinhead music. Check it out even if you don't think this is you, you
might be surprised. To get a sampling of what Insurgence Records is all
about, download their label sampler "Project Boneyard", released in
2004 in response to "Project Schoolyard," a sampler released by fascist
scum Panzerfaust Records, which sought to target youth as recruits for
the white-power movement. "Project Boneyard" is available in full for
free download at http://www.insurgence.net.

Found at:
http://www.peoplesvoice.ca/articleprint12/11_INSURGENCE_RECORDS__WORKING_CLASS_CULTURE.html